Heritability and Genetic Basis of Top Size in Carrots (Daucus carota, L.)

Organic carrot (Daucus carota L.) production is plagued by erratic germination, poor seedling growth, and delayed canopy establishment, all of which make weed control a major challenge. Plants with rapid, uniform germination and top growth are one viable option to mitigate weed management. Preliminary field trials have demonstrated that genetic variation exists for germination and top size, which can be harnessed to develop varieties for improved weed control. This project aims to further elucidate the genetic control of germination and top size in carrot using segregating F2 derived F3 populations. Measurements will include leaf weight, dry leaf weight, root weight, and growth habit (prostrate vs. erect petioles). Parent-offspring regression is being used to estimate the heritability of each trait and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) will be used to identify associated quantitative trait loci (QTL). Results of this study will be used to develop molecular markers for applied breeding.